Just call him him. If there was ever a time that every single person available on the Minor League Roster should be considered for a promotion to The Major Leagues--this is the time. Just about everyone knows that Alex Escobar is a FIVE TOOL TALENT. Just about everyone knows He Can't Stay Healthy. Considering all the damage injuries have caused to the roster of Our Washington Nationals--why in the world is Alex Escobar not already on Our Team?If he is going to be wasted there, why even have him at AAA Columbus as an emergency replacement? I can't think of a more dire time than now for his use.
Is anyone concerned right now if he gets injured again?
During his very brief time playing for Our Washington Nationals is 2006, there were only two other players on that Version 2.0 Roster that provided as much excitement--Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Zimmerman. No one else came close. Escobar has power, speed, the ability to play the field (sometimes a little more exciting than I wish) and possesses one of greatest arms in the game. Who exactly, under contract to Washington, is better and more qualified to get a call up to the Big League Roster?
No position player out there deserves it more. No, No One.
And before anyone starts harping over the fact that Alex is only hitting .266 for The Clippers, Jesus Flores was batting well below .150 before his recall. It just doesn't matter. Let's put Alex Escobar out there, in centerfield, and see what happens. If Our Washington Nationals get lucky--Escobar provides a bright spot and some spark to an otherwise struggling season. No one can ever say that man was not exciting each and every time he stepped to the plate in 2006. Remember this moment. Now that was a dramatic At-Bat. The makings of a quality player that continues to be hampered by constant pain.
Unquestionably, and sadly so, Alex Escobar and Nick Johnson need to write a book on baseball injuries. They may be two of the most qualified experts in the game.
JimBo--please give Escobar his final shot. Our Washington Nationals have nothing to lose--and everything to gain.
Everyone should be able to see that Alex Escobar can not possibly harm any progress. Only help us when we are down. Let's not call the season over.
Please, just call him up--times a wasting. Let Alex Escobar provide and have some fun--for all of us.
PS--Sohna and I did not have the opportunity to watch this afternoon's game, the completion of a four game sweep at the hands of The Cincinnati Reds. Family obligations took us away. We tried to listen on the radio and when we heard Dave Jageler mention in the bottom of the 8th how "frustrating' this game was to watch, followed immediately by Charlie Slowes stating "this is hard to watch" after a Paul LoDuca error--The African Queen and I just shook our heads, knowing Our Washington Nationals were mostly likely down. In fact, eventual 6-5 losers at The Great American Ballpark after a near fabulous comeback finish in the top of the 9th fell short. By the way, we played shorthanded again with Elijah Dukes out with his patella injury--and Our Manager Manny Acta only had Wil Nieves available off the bench with two outs, two on--with the game on the line. The Columbus Clippers played at home today--in Ohio. Our Washington Nationals were playing in Cincinnati, Ohio. How difficult would it be to add another body?
Anyone could have driven there in time for the game.
Even Alex Escobar.
PSS--Congratulations to "The Guz" Who would have thought Cristian Guzman, nearly run out of town by every single fan of Our Washington Nationals in 2005, except for The African Queen, for his one horrendous season--would be named Our 2008 All Star Game Representative. Our Number 15 DESERVED THIS HONOR. Our best and most consistent player all year. No one runs the bases and plays as hard, outside of Elijah Dukes. Guzman earned the praise of his fellow players, managers and coaches this season, and has won back the heart of many fans of Our Washington Nationals--including me.
I couldn't agree more! I've been beating the drum for Escobar since spring training. He's exciting to watch. I was there in 2006 and saw him play. If they're going to lose, at least give us someone interesting to watch. I'm sure Casto, Langerhans and Orr are nice guys, but they lack the passion of Alex Escobar.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your unending family issue.
ReplyDeleteThe Nats have been really hard to watch. At least today we had a fabulous tennis match, and I have been occasionally entertaining myself at the computer listening to out of town games (18-17 Colorado over Florida, Colorado went for the 2 pt conversion and made it, and yesterday's cliffhangers involving the Yanks-Red Sox and the Cards-Cubs).
I am happy for Guzman, but describing him as second to Dukes in effort is a bit of a stretch. Sometimes he seems like a company softball shortstop, hardly someone you need in a critical defensive position.
I am completely with you. I think it should have been Escobar at some point earlier, even.
ReplyDeleteI hope to see Escobar SOON. Also that your family situation is resolved. And waiting for word on when Chief will have surgery...
ReplyDeleteDukes is on the DL. Delay in calling someone up seems to indicate that Jimbo thinks he can make a trade to fill the open roster spot today. Fact that it has not happened, and that it hurts the club, is just more data points for those who make a strong argument that Jimbo does more harm then help to the team.
ReplyDeleteI agree with those who say he has run his course here with the Nats. I also agree that Jimbo will not be able to make any trades of conscience due to this personality flaws and inflated view of his own players. Time will tell but if I am right then we are looking at just another wasted season with no progress other than what the passing of time will bring by the removal of Lopez from the roster. How many more years until Kearns if done with his contract/love affair? It was sad to see Billy Bray reaching his potential while Lopez and Kearns continue to under perform while getting paid such that they are no asset at all.
Escobar is horrible give someone young like Mike Daniel a chance to play!
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Post this morning, Kory Casto will be called back up to take Elijah Dukes's roster spot. I guess Escobar is not in the organization's long or short term plan.
ReplyDeleteIf true they bring back Casto then WHY did he not get a chance to catch the ball Lo Duca dropped yesterday???????
ReplyDeleteJIBO YOU REALLY SUCK! YOU ARE KILLING THIS TEAM.
I had thought that Escobar was hurt again and only playing DH in Columbus. If in fact he's healthy (for now), then I'm with you 100%. Escobar isn't some long-term project. He is almost 30 and has proven he can play in the majors when healthy. If you don't call him up at a time like this, then what the heck is he doing on your roster?
ReplyDeleteThinking of you and your family.
Escobar has looked great at times and how is his injury history any different from Nick Johnson's?
ReplyDeleteSaturday night we needed to be working on someone to fill the vacancy left by Elijah Dukes as it was doubtful he was going to pop up and be able to play in 10 days.
When we only had 1 bench player left at the Top of the 9th inning yesterday in Wil Nieves, I thought that Kory Casto would be the perfect guy for the spot batting lefty only he was sitting out of town as we didn't put Elijah Dukes on the DL officially yet at that point-----who blew that one????
On a different note, 2 errors by Paul LoDuca at 1st base in the last 2 weeks, misplays in the OF, can't catch baserunners stealing
2nd base----and he is still on the team, why??? Answer: Veteran leadership. Reply: Are you kidding me. Answer: We want other teams to see him play so maybe we can trade him. He is now hitting over .200 Reply: Are you kidding me!!!!
Congrats to Guzzie on making the All Star game!
These are the times that try men's souls, indeed. Nats fans can only think that their beloved team has been jinxed - those who do not like our current President could ascribe it to him - but I like my notion that the baseball Gods frowned on not erecting that iconic baseball over the Red Loft in center!
ReplyDeleteTruth is that it is a combination of: 1. depending on players like Nick Johnson, John Patterson, Dmitri Young, Shawn Hill were actually going to be healthy enough to be key parts (I put Dmitri in this group due to his diabetis/weight issues); 2. that Kearns/Lopez were line-upkeystones; and 3. that Milledge and LoDuca would both pan out as everyday players.
Those three major presumptions have all backfired, along with no. 4. dependence on Willie Mo Pena to be able to man left field defensively in order to justify his powerful bat in the line-up!! (BUST-BUST)
What if everything that could conceivably go wrong, did so, and virtually at once, and with no end in sight - that is the saga of Nationals 2008 - Inaugural Year of the Nationals Park.
MLB will not permit the team a hardship waiver, whereby the Nats are shut down for the remainder of 2008; but, the team needs to realize that this is the practical attitude that must be taken internally. This translates into getting Z-Man the surgery he needs NOW, rather than some invaluable time-consuming fantasy that he can rehab back to 100%. It means that should Dukes need to rehab for the remainder of 2008, that he do so.
And, of course, it means that Alex Escobar, and Larry Broadway, for that matter should be playing for the 2008 Nationals, as there is NO reason for them not to be utilized in the Lost Season. And small ball is too large for this team - play "Micro-Ball" to wring every conceivable run possible. I want Lopez ordered to bunt every other at bat, to cut down on double-plays, for example...
Trust in a solid starting rotation despite a Lost Season 2008. All Good.
SenatorNat said... 1. depending on players like Nick Johnson, John Patterson, Dmitri Young, Shawn Hill were actually going to be healthy enough to be key parts (I put Dmitri in this group due to his diabetis/weight issues)
ReplyDeleteAs far as being unprepared for 2008, I agree with your point on #1 and #3 with LoDuca really hurt us to start the season along with a big #5 for Dukes and Milledge starting off slowly with the bats and the gloves and some early base running mistakes.
If we try to look past 2008 and into 2009, we have many question marks as I could see our competition prior to this year's trade deadline excited to take away some of our starting rotation (which has been our bright spot for 2008) and possibly Guzzie and maybe a reliever or 2. I would think JimBo will not make the same Soriano mistake as he didn't trade him thinking he had a shot to re-sign him just as we sit with Guzman who is a free agent after this season......
If our rotation stays together and we sign Guzzie longterm, then we can concentrate on some key holes. These would be the same holes we had at the beginning of 2008. Who will be our 1st baseman and who will be our 2nd baseman and who will our 5th starter be.
Not to put words in our Nationals beat reporters mouth, but doesn't Bill Ladson already think Nick Johnson is our starting 1st baseman for the 2009 season?
If the 3 hole, cleanup, and 5 hole are your power places in your lineup, then we better get a 1st baseman who can supply the pop and play almost everyday. Are we going to start 2009 hoping & praying Nick can play 150 games in 2009?
Free agency has some interesting names, Orlando Hudson (2nd baseman), and a few 1st baseman (Texiera, Dunn 1B/OF, Burrell 1B/LF) that won't make sense as the Yankees and others will be high bidders I believe on the big boppers.
So 2009 will certainly be interesting as will the 2nd 1/2 of 2008.
Andrew makes very salient points, with the exception of the use of the term "our competition" as the Nats 2008 have none...
ReplyDeleteYes - if someone were to offer something real for Guzman, you would think that his stock is as high as it ever shall be - indeed, unfortunately, there is no guarantee that he wouldn't suffer some freak injury in 2nd half of '08. I do not believe that he is going to get worthwhile offer due to his free agency status, however - he is not comparable to Soriano, I do not think...Chico's piece on him got it wrong - Guz was hitting.328 before ending season last year - this is not an overnight conversion, in other words...
Rauch is the only player whom Bow-Bow is going to get a real offer for, since, at the moment, he is virtually the only valuable commodity the Nats have healthy. Perhaps Redding and/or Perez, too, but that is it. Welcome to KC Royals NL East style...
Trust in Kasten. All Good. (Been awhile for this tag line, eh?)
Senatornat mentioned the long forgotten (by many FO people) Larry Broadway -- discarded to the scrap heap by the GM because he had no pop in the spring of 2007. The name Larry Broadway has popped into my head many times while watching the 2008 version of "MLB Bloopers" played out nearly every night by the current crop of first basemen. One thing Larry Broadway can do is bend over far enough to reach a routine ground ball or a bunt. Another thing Larry Broadway can do is catch a throw from an infielder. And who knows? Maybe he can come up to the Nats and hit over .300 for a few weeks and maybe even deliver an occasional hit with runners in scoring position. How many times have we watched our current group fail to deliver a key hit or kill a rally with an inning-ending DP with runners in scoring position and less than two outs? And I wholeheartedly agree with those who call for the return of Alex Escobar. All the Nats need is for him to stay healthy for 4-6 weeks. By then, maybe Dukes will be healthy. Other than a few close ballgames and a few thousand season ticket holders, what do the Nats have to lose?
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that the Nationals should give Alex Escobar a chance. It's long past time.
ReplyDelete